Karnataka State Police ended their Super Division football league campaign in unbeaten fashion, with a 2-1 victory over Postal at the Bangalore Football Stadium here on Monday.

Karthik and Vinod Kumar scored for KSP while veteran Einstein found the consolation goal for Postal.

Policemen have consolidated their position behind champions MEG with 21 points and all eyes will be on fancied Hindustan Aeronautic Sports Club (12 points) as they have to win their three remaining matches in good margins to topple KSP on goal difference.

In an insipid encounter mostly devoid of attractive moves, the only bright spot in the first-half was the 25th minute strike by Karthik. The diminutive striker caught the Postal defenders off-guard with a swift move into the penalty area from the left and scored from a difficult angle.

Postal could not take cue from their inspirational draw against HASC last week and their forwards clearly lacked the resolve to fight back. At the other end, KSP strikers were kept at bay by an improved show by the Postal defence in the second session. Quite dramatically though, Postal defender Murali paved the way for the second KSP strike.

Penalty
Mid-way through the second half, Arun Kumar surged past two midfielders on the left but his cross into the goal mouth found Murali’s hand on the way and referee Andrew Shekar awarded a penalty for KSP.

Vinod Kumar blasted the ball past the desperate dive of Postal custodian R Ravindran to hit the right corner of the goal in the 69th minute.

With defeat staring at them, Arun Pandy dribbled up in a rare break-away effort to serve a cross, and first-half substitute Einstein turned one in with a low-diving header in the 78th minute, obviously the most pleasing of all the goals on the day.